Headlines Extra -- Media & Society

>X-Sender: rachel@local.benton.org>X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.0.58>Approved-By: Rachel Anderson <rachel@BENTON.ORG>>Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 15:42:06 -0400>Reply-To: lists@BENTON.ORG>Sender: The Benton Communications Policy Mailing List> <BENTON-COMPOLICY@CDINET.COM>>From: Rachel Anderson <rachel@BENTON.ORG>>Subject: Headlines Extra -- Media & Society 9/23/99>Comments: To: UPFORGRABS-L@CDINET.COM>To: BENTON-COMPOLICY@CDINET.COM>>Headlines Extra is a free online news service provided by the Benton>Foundation (www.benton.org/cpphome.html). Much like our daily,>Communications-related Headlines, Headlines Extra is intended to keep>you up-to-date on important industry developments, policy issues, and>other pertinent communications-related news events. This service is>available online at (www.benton.org/News/Extra).>---------------------------------------------------------------------------->>HEADLINES EXTRA -- MEDIA & SOCIETY 9/23/99>>COLOR ADJUSTMENT?> Why Are So Few Blacks Starring On TV? (Jet)> Fading Away? Hispanics Demand to See Their Faces on More>Network Shows (Fresno Bee)> Study Shows Newsrooms Remain White, Male (CRForum)>>MINORITIES TAKE ACTION> NAACP Blasts TV Networks' Fall Seasons Whitewash (NAACP)> Latino Coalition Launches National Network 'Brownout' (Politico)>>VIEWPOINTS> Pale By Comparison (ChiTrib)> Race: Through An Accurate Prism (L.A.)>>DIVERSITY ON SCREEN AND BEHIND THE SCENES> Is TV's Racism Black And White Or Just Green? (Plain Dealer)> Diverse Is Better, Screen Actors Guild Ads Tell the Networks (WP)> Criticism of All-White Shows Spurs Television to Add Minority>Roles (NYT)>>>COLOR ADJUSTMENT?>>WHY ARE SO FEW BLACKS STARRING ON TV?>Although for years executives from NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX have expressed>the desire to have programming better mirror the racial makeup of the U.S.,>of the 26 new prime-time programs to debut this fall on the four major>broadcast networks, only one (CBS' "City of Angels") features a black in a>leading role. Observers say that because of cable, the Internet and the>presence of the UPN and WB networks, the four majors have turned to spending>their resources on gaining young, White viewers. The Census Bureau shows>that Whites are still account for approximately 70% of the American>population between the ages of 18 and 54 -- the demographic advertisers
desire>most. Broadcasters are trying to hold onto White viewers because, allegedly,>that is where advertisers will get the biggest bang for their bucks.>>Research shows that even though blacks make up 12% of the population, they>make up 40% of television viewers. The Center for Media and Public Affairs>points out that blacks represented only 10% of all characters on sitcoms and>dramas on the four major networks last season, down from 17% in the 1992-93>season. The New York Times reported that since blacks watch more television>than other groups, advertisers won't pay networks as much for that audience>because they are easier to reach. There's a great disparity between what>Blacks and Whites are watching on TV: "The Steve Harvey Show" is the>top-rated show among Blacks, but ranks 127th with White viewers. Viewers are>encouraged to let the networks know about their outrage when quality>programs like "Frank's Place," 413 Hope Street" and "Under One Roof" are>canceled.>[SOURCE: Jet, August 9, 1999 (pg. 55)]>>FADING AWAY? HISPANICS DEMAND TO SEE THEIR FACES ON MORE NETWORK SHOWS AND>NOT JUST IN THE BACKGROUND>After the NAACP pointed out the lack of African-American actors on>television, a Hispanic coalition consisting of La Raza, the National>Hispanic Media Coalition and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts>has expressed its own demand for more Hispanic characters on TV. National>Council of La Raza President Raul Yzaguirre pointed out at the Latino Media>Summit held in late July that one of every 10 faces in the U.S. is>Hispanic, but>only one out of 100 faces on television is Hispanic. At that same summit,>Hispanic leaders agreed to develop a year-long national strategy to combat>the virtual absence of Hispanic images on television. [see story below]>>Hispanic actors -- Cheech Marin, Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizondo, Edward James>Olmos, Benjamin Bratt -- have played major roles on television, but the>percentage of Hispanic actors doesn't accurately reflect the makeup of the>melting pot of America. Cheech Marin, the star of Nash Bridges said, "Two,>three seasons ago I was standing on the stage of the Alma Awards, when I was>the master of ceremonies, and I looked out in the audience. There was>Benjamin Bratt, Hector Elizondo, Jimmy Smits, myself -- all these guys stars>of hour shows," Marin says. "More importantly, playing the guys who put the>bad guys in jail, not the bad guys.">>Scott Sassa, NBC West Coast president, said, "I don't think I'm capable of>telling you how Latinos feel about how they're portrayed or what they see on>television. But I can tell you how I feel about seeing Asian-Americans>portrayed on television. Growing up, seeing David Carradine as a Chinese guy>(on "Kung Fu") ticks you off," Sassa said. He wants to see more characters>who are role models rather than loading up the background players to reach a>quota.>[SOURCE: The Fresno Bee, August 29 (H1), AUTHOR: Rick Bentley]>>STUDY SHOWS NEWSROOMS REMAIN WHITE, MALE>On July 8, in conjunction with UNITY 99, a conference of minority>journalists was held in Seattle Washington, the Radio-Television News>Directors Association (RTNDA) released the results of a study it>commissioned on employment diversity in radio and television news. The>"Women and Minorities Survey"conducted at Ball State University showed that>although progress is being made in certain areas, the people who write,>produce and report the nations' news are still predominately white and>male. According to the survey, minorities account for about 19% of>television newsroom staff and only 11% of staff in radio newsrooms. The>study also reported that the overall percentage was down slightly from last>year, although it was noted that minorities are gaining some ground in>penetrating the upper management tiers. For instance, in 1996 only 10% of>assistant news directors were minorities, whereas this year that number has>risen to 18%. The percentage of executive producers has also climbed to 16%>from 7% three years ago and percent of minority assignment editors rose>from 14% to 22%.>[SOURCE: The Forum Connection (Civil Rights Forum) July 15, Author: Jessica>Brown]>(http://www.civilrightsforum.org/text/connect990715.htm#study)>>>MINORITIES TAKE ACTION>>NAACP BLASTS TV NETWORKS' FALL SEASONS WHITEWASH>Kweisi Mfume, President & CEO of the National Association for the>Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) blasted the four major networks (ABC,>CBS, NBC, and Fox) for their lack of diversity in the new fall season prime>time line-up. He said, "When the television-viewing public sits down to>watch the new prime time shows scheduled for this fall's line-up, they will>see a virtual whitewash in programming. This whitewash exists because none>of the 26 new shows slated for the fall season have a minority in a leading>or starring role. The NAACP Television & Film Diversity Initiative will>launch an aggressive, comprehensive and sustained campaign directed out of a>NAACP Hollywood Bureau slated to open in October. The>Bureau will serve as a watchdog to report on and monitor diversity>throughout the television and film industry. The campaign may include>litigation and civil action.>[SOURCE: NAACP]>(http://www.naacp.org/president/releases/naacp_blasts_tv_networks.htm)>>LATINO COALITION LAUNCHES NATIONAL NETWORK 'BROWNOUT'> From September 12th to the 25th, a coalition of ten Hispanic organizations>has urged the nation's 31 million Latinos to boycott ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC>to protest the "continued invisibility of Latin actors on TV." "We're saying>enough is enough.There's been a historic invisibility of Latinos," said Lisa>Navarrete, the deputy vice president for the National Council of La Raza.>Navarrete said there is only one Latino person, Martin Sheen, in a leading>role in the 26 network shows premiering this fall. Latinos are 11 percent>of the population, but only 2 percent of all network TV characters. The>"National Brownout" was launched during the National Council of La Raza's>annual convention in late July. Representatives of the sponsoring>organizations say they are angry that few Latinos are on the fall lineup of>new shows-even though Hispanics watch more television on average than the>general public. According to the "Engaging Television in English y en>Espa-ol" study conducted by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, a think tank>headquartered in Southern California., U.S. Latinos watch about four hours>of TV a day, 45 minutes more than non-Latinos.>Navarrete said leaders of black, Asian American and Latino groups met in New>York last Friday to discuss ways they could collectively pressure the>networks to include more minorities in its programs.>[SOURCE: Politico, August 2, AUTHOR: Julie Amparano]>(http://www.politiconews.com/topstory.html)>>>VIEWPOINTS>>PALE, BY COMPARISON>[Commentary]A long look at the demographics of the fall TV line-up from the>Tribune's TV critic. Steve Johnson points out the difference between local>newscasts -- which always seem to be delivered by a multiracial mix of men>and women -- and prime time entertainment which is filled by predominately>white actors and actresses. If the broadcast networks are narrowcasting,>they seem to be>targeting just the majority white audience -- if we are to accept that>people tend to watch programs that feature their own race. The NAACP and a>coalition of Latino organizations started protesting the "whitewashing" of>prime time TV this summer. Of the nearly three dozen new series starting>this fall on the six broadcast networks, only six have minorities in leading>roles. Yvette Lee Bowser, an established TV writer, said, "There's a very>unfortunate reality that we have to deal with this particular season...But>it existed last year, too, and the year before....And I think that>people...are considering the kind of impact, the social impact, that>homogenized television will have on our culture." Johnson asked; Why does>it take the NAACP and media critics to awaken a TV network to something so>obvious as the fact that television, as a primary social force, will come>under scrutiny with regards to hot-button issues such as race? TV has>"increasingly become only white," said UPN President Dean Valentine, and is>"becoming increasingly divorced from the American way of life." Valentine>said he's "always felt that it was good business and it was responsible>business for us to try, over time, to reflect the way the country>looked...There's a huge African-American middle class....We're one big>capitalist>country and I think it's a silly and shortsighted business decision to>alienate an entire segment of the population." [There's more -- a lot more>-- at the URL below.]>[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 5, p.1), AUTHOR: Steve Johnson]>(http://chicagotribune.com/leisure/tempo/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-990>8270130,FF.html)>>RACE; THROUGH AN ACCURATE PRISM>[Op-Ed]Adonis Hoffman says it is time for Hollywood to change. Of 1,000 top>executives in the television industry -- including writers, directors,>producers and agents -- only a handful are black. White males exert most of>the control over a $20+ billion industry that influences the culture,>commerce and values of virtually every nation in the world. When Hollywood>projects an image, it becomes global reality. Television and movies possess>the inherent power to define what the world sees and how it should feel>about it.>>The absence of minorities from Hollywood's executive suites means they are>powerless to control their own global reality. When the NAACP chided>Hollywood for not featuring minority actors in leading television roles, it>was only half right. The more accurate measurement, perhaps, would be the>level of control black executives have over film and television budgets.>Hoffman believes that opening up network and studio boardrooms to>qualified minorities would have an astounding effect both within and beyond>the broadcast industry. With the power to define their characters, black>writers and producers would be liberated to present a richer pastiche of the>African American experience to the global audience. No longer would black>images be filtered through the lens of formulaic stereotypes that so often>result in one-dimensional characters -- usually criminal or comedic. The>presence of minority executives in decision-making positions at networks and>studios also means that ancillary economic benefits and revenue in the>industry could begin to find their way to minority communities. Minority>agents, attorneys, accountants, advertising executives, insurers, caterers
and>contractors would be poised to receive a reasonable share of commerce from>the networks simply because a minority executive was conscious of their>existence.>[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, August 8 (M1), AUTHOR: Adonis Hoffman (Director>of the Corporate Policy Institute)]>>>DIVERSITY ON SCREEN AND BEHIND THE SCENES>>IS TV'S RACISM BLACK AND WHITE OR JUST GREEN?>The total prime-time network television audience is 84.4% white, 11.8% black>and 3.8% other, according to the A.C. Nielsen rating service. Those numbers>offer a powerful temptation for advertisers to ignore minority audiences.>Follow the money, network executives say, and it will lead you back to the>advertisers who pay the bills. "Even though we don't have conclusive>evidence, there is a lot of qualitative evidence showing a certain amount of>pervasive racism on the parts of advertisers and advertising agencies," said>Kofi Ofori, research director for the Civil Rights Forum, a Washington-based>organization.>>UPN, the smallest network, has the largest percentage of black viewers,>32% of its total audience, according to Nielsen. The WB is at 27%, Fox 13%,>CBS 12%, ABC 11% and NBC 8%. "Black shows" also have very little crossover>appeal to the much larger white audience. As a result, reaching minority>groups through prime-time network advertising is becoming increasingly>inefficient, ad agencies say. Last year, only six of the 20 most-popular>shows among black viewers -- "E.R.," "Monday Night Football," "60 Minutes,">"Touched by an Angel," "NYPD Blue" and "CBS Sunday Movie" - ranked among>the 20 most popular programs with white audiences, according to Nielsen.>>One TV producer suggests that the ultimate solution may be bringing in more>minorities in roles *behind* the camera -- particularly as writers,>directors and producers. Steven Bochco, a prominent TV producer, says,>"From a network point of view, I don't think racism is an issue. I think>economics is an issue. When things that you try don't succeed, there's a>reluctance to try them again. When they do succeed, you try them over and>over.">>Some media critics contend that even advertisers are beginning to see>added value in supporting into diverse shows. Ratings -- sheer numbers of>viewers -- might not be everything, after all. "Advertisers are very [angry]>about what network television is doing in the way of delivering their>consumers. They are simply not doing the job," said Ken Smikle, president of>Target Market News, a Chicago-based research firm that monitors black>marketing and the media. "Advertisers are looking more and more to tap into>ethnic markets of all kinds, and network television is going in the exact>opposite direction. That's why the ratings game continues to be a zero-sum>game for them: They keep charging more for less.">[SOURCE: The Plain Dealer, August 15 (1A), AUTHOR: Mark Dawidziak &>Tom Feran]>>DIVERSE IS BETTER, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD ADS TELL THE NETWORKS>The Screen Actors Guild President Richard Masur said SAG wants to>"challenge" the myth that there aren't enough qualified performers among>groups that are underrepresented on television. In Los Angeles SAG launched>an advertising campaign that it says is designed to convince entertainment>industry executives that diverse casting is the right thing to do and makes>good business sense. The first ad appeared in the Hollywood Reporter, which>is targeted to entertainment executives. "You have a demand. We have a>supply," the ad read. "We also hope to convince industry insiders that>diversity can improve their bottom line," said Masur.>[SOURCE: Washington Post, August 12 (C07), AUTHOR: Lisa de Moraes]>>CRITICISM OF ALL-WHITE SHOWS SPURS TELEVISION TO ADD MINORITY ROLES>With the new television season starting, network executives and producers>are responding in alarm to the strong criticisms from black and Latino>groups about the absence of nonwhites in most of the network series. Kweisi>Mfume, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored>People, and his organization bought 100 shares in each of the companies that>own these networks "so we can go to board meetings and raise the kind of>hell and the issues that we think are necessary," he said. "We're>certainly glad that some of the networks have seen fit to add minorities to>their programs," said John C. White, the NAACP.'s director of>communications. "But we still think it's even more important that>minorities are hired in decision-making positions -- and when we say>minorities we're not just talking African-Americans. We think there's an>insufficient number of Latinos, Asian-Americans and Native Americans on>television." The evidence is clear that the protests over the new all-white>shows have stung executives and producers, resulting in a rush to add>minority roles."There were hardly any African-American roles in the pilot>season and the shows that got picked up," said Karen Goldberg, a talent>agent at the Don Buchwald agency. "Now, suddenly, they're definitely adding>ethnic>characters." Marcia Shulman, senior vice president for talent and casting at>20th Century Fox Television, which produces 22 shows, flew to New York last>week to interview actors "of every ethnicity" for next year. Not only is>this studio and others adding minority characters and quickly shifting plot>lines, but networks are also looking ahead to next year, partly to avoid the>problems of this year. As to the current last-minute spate of hiring of>minority members, Steven Bochco said he disagreed with anyone who called>the step cynical. "It doesn't matter to me if you hire as an afterthought,">he said.>"It doesn't matter if you hire me for the wrong reasons. At least you've>done it.">[SOURCE: New York Times, September 20 (A1), AUTHOR: Bernard Weinraub]>(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/arts/minority-tv-casting.html)>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------->(c)Benton Foundation, 1999. Redistribution of this email publication -- both>internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message. 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Gary Handman
Director
Media Resources Center
Moffitt Library
UC Berkeley 94720-6000http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC